


bang bang, my baby shot me down

by roseuls



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-28 11:30:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13903101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roseuls/pseuds/roseuls
Summary: just the Mr. and Mrs. Smith au no one asked for





	1. Chapter 1

**Dr. FP Jones’s Marriage and Counseling Office, Riverdale**

There was nothing but silence in the room. The counselor sat across from the couple, his eyes studying the two women. Toni was more headstrong by the way she was sitting. Her hands gripping the chair as she stared right at the man. Her muscles flexed from time to time. It was obvious that she didn't want to be present.

He switched his attention over to Cheryl. Her posture was different from her wife's. Her posture was proper but casual. Her shoulders were relaxed like she felt comfortable being in the room. Both of her hands grasped onto each other as she crossed her legs, fixing her eyes on FP.

“So, who wants to start?” FP asked, breaking the piercing silence.

Toni leans forward to address the doctor.

“Ok, I'll go first.”

“Let me say, we don't really need to be here. See, we've been married for five years.”

Cheryl interjects. “Six.”

Toni pauses before continuing.

“Five, six years. And this is like a check-up for us. Chance to poke around the engine, maybe change the oil. Replace a seal or two. That’s it.”

FP smiles, his professionalism never wearing off. “Very well, let's get started then!”

-

_“On a scale of one to ten, how happy as a couple are you?”_

Cheryl answers immediately. “Eight.”

“Wait,” Toni starts. “Like ten being perfectly happy and one being totally miserable, or...”

Cheryl’s eyes threaten to roll to back of her head as she took a deep breathe, relaxing the tension in her shoulders.

“Just respond instinctively.” FP replied, his eyes lifting from his notepad.

“Okay,” Toni answers. Her eyes shift over to Cheryl.

“Ready?”

“Eight.”

-

_“How often do you have sex?”_

“I don't understand the question,” Cheryl stated looking confused.

“Yeah, I'm lost,” Toni agreed. “Is this a 1 to 10 thing?”

“Is one very little or is one nothing, because technically speaking zero would be nothing,” Cheryl spoke, her posture breaking from it’s perfect stance.

“How was this week?” FP asked.

“Including the weekend?” Toni asked in return.

“Sure.”

Silence dances around the room yet again.

-

_“Describe how you first met.”_

Cheryl smiles for the first time during the interview. “Ah, it was in Colombia.”

“Bogotá." Toni adds, also smiling. “Five years ago.”

“Six.”

“Right, five or six years ago...”

-

**Bogotá, Colombia...**

**Five or six years ago...**

The noise of the busy street drowns out as Toni tilts her back, the liquid running down the throat. She grunts out an ask for a refill.

Currently sitting at the bar of a hotel that she was currently stationed at. A whiskey shot in her right hand, a magazine in the other. She brings the glass up to her mouth, drowning it down in one gulp.

Toni’s attention was drawn from her magazine as police stormed into the hotel shouting. Toni’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she turned around to her previous location at the bar.

“Hey, what's going on?” Toni asked the bartender, leaning towards the counter.

“Someone shot the barracuda,” the bartender answered. “Police are looking for tourists traveling alone.”

Toni turns her attention back to the policemen in behind her. Her eyes scanning over them. One of the policemen approached her. Her hand ghosts the handle of her pistol, stuck between her back and her jeans.

“Your passport please, ma’am.” The policeman demanded, raising his voice. The aggressive was clear but unnecessary. Her grip on the gun tightening.

A rude remark threatened to spill out her mouth but was interrupted by the arrival of a beautiful woman. Their attention was on each other immediately despite the commotion around them.

“Ma’am, are you alone?” The policeman questioned the mysterious woman this time.

“No,” the woman speaks up, responding as locking her eyes back with Toni’s. A spark sets off as they both move, synchronizing, to meet in the middle.

Toni lets go of the gun, the soft breeze of her shirt meeting her waistband, making the gun disappear from view.

“Esta bien!” Toni protests, “She's with me,” Toni says, sliding her arm around the woman's waist, leading the woman to her room. The heavy footsteps of the police can still be heard after the woman slams the door, her ears against the door, listening closely.

“I’m Cheryl,” the woman stated, offering her hand and Toni grasps it, firmly, taking her shades off.

“Toni.”

“Nice to meet you,” they both say simultaneously.

-

“To dodging bullets.”

“Dodging bullets,” Toni repeats, clicking her glass against Cheryl’s.

“So it speaks,” Cheryl’s eyes shine with amusement, leaning closer to Toni as she stands up from her seat, “but does it dance?” She whispers, purposeful leaning close to Toni, her voice huskier this time, sending a thrill down Toni’s spine.

Toni laughs, trying to hide the flush in her cheeks, as she watches Cheryl leave with her glass. Cheryl keeps her eyes on Toni, calling her. She drowns her last drink before throwing it into a barrel causing flames to arise.

_Toni can see the fire in her eyes, it’s challenging her._

Toni stands from the table, moving slowly towards Cheryl, her eyes tracing every part of her figure. Cheryl leans closer as Toni’s hands slide around her waist, pulling Cheryl into her arms.

There’s other couples on the dance floor, but everything surrounding them fades away from existence. With their lips a breath apart, they seal the night with a kiss.

-

Sunlight flows through the window as Cheryl blinks trying to adjust her eyes to the blinding light. The silence that pierced the air causes her to rise up. Cheryl’s confused until the events of last night rush into her head.

Disappointment shows in her eyes when she searches the room. The bed is empty and there’s no sign of the beautiful woman she met yesterday. Cheryl shakes her head to herself. She should of known Toni wouldn’t stay.

The clicking of the door lock draws her attention, revealing Toni as she enters, carrying two cups of coffee. They greet each other with soft smiles.

“Hi stranger.”

“Hi back,” Toni giggled, putting down the tray. “I think room service fled. I did what I could.”

Cheryl nods appreciatively, as she drinks the coffee.

“Thanks, that's good.”

“I hope so, I had to milk a goat to get it,” Toni says, amusement twinkling in her eyes.

Cheryl flips the newspaper that Toni also brought, her eyes fixing onto a rose that laid underneath it. Picking up the rose, she tucked it between her hair before proceeding to walk over to Toni who was watching her with a mischievous glance.

They gaze at each other, their eyes reflecting in the sun’s glare.

Then Cheryl reaches out, pulling Toni into a deep, passionate kiss.

Toni drops the coffee cup to ground, the crash echoing through the air, as Toni wraps her arms around the Cheryl’s body, feeling the cool silk sheets that covered her body. The kiss never ending as desire pulled them towards the bed.

-

**Riverdale**

**Six weeks later...**

“Hey, step right up, ladies and gentlemen,” A booming voice shouted. “Try your luck,” The carney continued.

“How about you two little ladies?” The carney asked pointing to the both of them. “Wanna try your luck and win a prize?”

Toni’s arm was slung possessively over Cheryl’s shoulder, with Cheryl interlocking their hands together.

“Yeah, alright,” Cheryl says, untangling herself from under Toni, keeping their hands connected. Toni brings the plastic cup of beer in her other hand to her mouth, gripping it with her teeth, as she fishes out a five dollar bill from her pocket to pay the carney.

“Two.”

“We’ve got two over here!” The carney calls as Cheryl steps up to the booth. Toni leans against the booth with a sly smile, taking a sip from her plastic cup.

“You know how to hold it?”

Cheryl holds onto the gun fairly, showing her grip to Toni. “Yeah?”

The sly grin appears back on Toni’s face. “Yeah.”

Cheryl fires the gun aimlessly, bullets ricocheting off the targets, as she and Toni laugh at her poor aim.

“You gotta aim, baby,” Toni teases her as the next shot misses.

“I am!” Cheryl exclaims. “Don't laugh, I'll kill you,” she playfully threatens, missing the final shot.

Toni’s still grinning at her with adoration as Cheryl passes the gun to her. She inhales, her expression becoming focused as she aims and fires, hitting five shots flawlessly. Cheryl’s expression narrows when she hits the fourth shot.

Her fifth shot barely misses, as she puts the gun down with a causal shrug. “Do we still get something?”

Cheryl gives her a doubtful look and Toni shrugs again. “Beginner’s luck,” she says, a smug smile plastered on her face.

The same fire appears in Cheryl’s eyes like it did six years ago. “I wanna go again,” Cheryl says, as Toni collects their small prize she won. Toni hands the carney another five stepping back to watch Cheryl. “She’s going again.”

Cheryl picks up the gun again, her grip sure and steady, determination written on her face. Toni watches as Cheryl fires, hitting the targets with precise aim. Cheryl releases the gun with a satisfied smile as Toni gives her a look between astonished and impressed.

“Where'd you learn how to shoot like that?” Toni questions, snaking her arm around Cheryl’s shoulder again.

“Beginner's luck,” Cheryl mocks, tangling their fingers again, as Toni looks at her with amazement and honest desire.

Of course, Cheryl picks the biggest prize they had to offer which Toni gripped under her other side.

Cheryl hands the small prize to a child as they pass, a kiss being pressed upon her temple as they blend into the crowd.

-

**The White Wyrm, Riverdale**

Toni’s trapped into the corner of the boxing ring, Sweet Pea throwing punch after punch upon her.

“Stop, you've only known the girl for six weeks!” Fangs exclaims, his expression one of worry.

“Why not?” Toni asks as she knees her Sweet Pea in his stomach, grappling him to the ground.

“I'm in love, Fangs! She's smart, sexy, uninhibited, spontaneous, complicated. She’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.” Toni states as she lands a couple of punches on Sweet Pea. “She makes me a better person.”

Fangs paces around the ring, disregarding the rough fight going on inside of it. “I knew Kevin two and a half years before I asked him to marry me. You have to have a foundation of friendship, Toni, otherwise the other stuff fades.”

Turning away, he looks over at two shirtless girls.

He gives them a casual nod. “Hey.”

-

**Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona**

Cheryl grabs a rock above her, pulling her body up. Beside her, a few meters down, Veronica struggles to keep up with her.

“So, you don't think this is happening a little too fast?!” Veronica calls out as she grabs onto the rock above her.

“You know me, I never do anything without thinking it through,” Cheryl answers as she pulls her body upwards. “She’s kind, beautiful, understanding, intelligent...”

“What does she do?” Veronica asked, sounding breathless.

“She's in construction,” Cheryl replies. “Big time contractor.”

-

“What does she do?” Fangs questions Toni, stress lines showing on his forehead.

“She's a server on Wall Street,” Toni grunts out, her face flushed from the pressure Sweet Pea was applying. “She's there, anytime, day or night.”

Toni slams Sweet Pea against the mat, throwing him off of her. “She's like Batman for computers.”

-

“She's gone as much as I am, so it's perfect,” Cheryl throws Veronica a smile, as she continues to climb up the mountain.

Veronica stops climbing to throw her friend a look of disbelief.

-

Fangs frowns as Toni grapples with Sweet Pea. “I give the whole thing six months, tops.”

“Fangs?” Toni calls, as she looks over her shoulder. A huge grin on her face despite the mouthguard. “I asked her to marry me.”

Sweet Pea takes this as a opportunity to power slam her into the mat.

“What?” Fangs shouts in disbelief.

“I’m getting married,” Toni chokes out, trying to block her Sweet Pea’s incoming attacks.

“What?” Fangs asks. “I can't hear you!”

“Getting married,” Toni repeats, continuing to block the ongoing attacks.

“Can you stop hitting her, I think she said something crazy!” Fangs yells at Sweet Pea distracting him from dashing out punches to Toni’s face.

“I'm getting married!” Toni yells, finally gaining the upper hand, pinning Sweet Pea down. “I'm getting married to Cheryl.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you see any errors, please don’t be afraid to comment.

**Five or Six Years Later…**

For a neighborhood full of morning people, she’s not one of them. It’s fall, precisely October. Fall leafs wet from October rain, with the heavy scent of mist in the air, as she stands at the edge of her front walk. A fresh cup of coffee in her grip, her other hand hanging beside limply.

The newspaper sat at her feet, in front of her slipper-clad playboy bunny shoes Sweet Pea gifted her last year. Toni doesn’t even ask where or why he got them. She only wears it because they’re decent and warm. And Cheryl hates them.

Reggie Mantle watches her bend down to pick up the newspaper in his navy blue robe and silky pajama pants, nodding her a greeting.

Toni gives the guy a simple nod nevertheless.

-

“What do you think of Dr. Jones?” Cheryl asks, dashing about her clothes. Unlike Toni, Cheryl is a morning person. She wakes up, makes breakfast, watches the daily news, then gets ready for ‘work.’ “His questions were a bit wishy-washy.”

“Yeah. Not the most insightful,” Toni mumbled, adjusting the sleeves of her dress shirt.

Cheryl rolls her eyes and glares at her through the reflective mirror on her closet door. “And his office is clear across to town.”

“You know, the four o’ clock means we hit rush hour. Not crazy about that,” Toni walks past Cheryl, on her way to the bedroom but the longing feeling in chest makes her stop. She looks at Cheryl because moments like these is all she ever has anymore. Everything’s changed in the last six years.

Cheryl turns around, finally done applying her red lipstick. “So, that’s settled then?”

“Yeah, sure, okay,” Toni replies, walking into the bedroom.

“Great,” Cheryl releases a breath she didn’t even know she was holding. It’s like these last few years she’s been restraining herself.

-

“Dinner is at seven,” Cheryl announces as she pulls her shades out of her purse and grabs her car keys. Toni stares as she watches the flex of Cheryl’s arm muscles show it’s appeal.

“Toni?”

“Yup, dinner at seven,” Toni repeats, shaking her head as if she hadn’t been caught. Toni catches Cheryl’s coat, rotating her around. “Hey, I’ll be there,” Toni consoled, her heart warming at that spark she recognized in Cheryl’s eyes.

It’s as if they were like two women in love, living the normal life in a suburban neighborhood.

Toni just stares at her, and at that moment she wanted to tell her everything. How she worked for an organization of spies, the reasons for disappearances, the reasons for her lies, but she couldn’t. Sadly, neither could Toni.

Nothing is said as the two part ways and get into separate vehicles, going about their normal day.

-

“Anybody calls, I’m in with the boss, okay?” Archie Andrews walks around the office like he owns the place. “That’s right, got a call from the man. Big highline assignment. You know how it is.”

“Actually, you probably don’t,” he lets out a coy laugh, adjusting his tie. The self-satisfied grin told everyone what he was about to say.

“Sweetie,” Archie points to Josie McCoy, addressing her. “Could you grab me a coffee? I like it with lots of sugar. Thanks a lot.” And like that, he was off again, pacing through space.

Everyone’s space.

“And where do you think you're going?” The grouchy old lady voices, making him stop in his tracks.

His confidence flaunts, as he stumbles his words. “Well, I…” Archie starts. “The boss wants to see me.”

“Well, he sees you.”

Shock, anger, and confusion quickly register on his face. He wonders around the room, spying the huge surveillance camera.

“Look, kid, people who’ve been working here for twenty-five years have never seen the inside of that elevator,” the lady says grabbing the vanilla envelope. “Here.”

“This is the assignment?”

“Now, get outta here,” she grunts, shooting the boy away, nodding towards the way out.

-

Toni gets home late. Cheryl hates lateness. Then again, Cheryl hates a lot of things. Things that Toni seems to be doing lately.

The garage door hums as Toni looks around for her wedding ring. The cold feeling of the metal spreads through her hand as she reaches up to adjust the rearview mirror, noticing blood on her collar.

“Fuck,” Toni wipes the red smudge off her collar, tucking it underneath afterwards. She mutters a few inflammatory words and steps out of the car. The heavy pounding of the rain makes her regret not buying a house with a connecting door.

By the time she reaches the door, she’s soaked. She stops outside the back door, catching a sight of Cheryl. She’s still in her skirt and heels, humming a soft tune, cutting vegetables. Toni smiles despite the cold weather.

“Hey babe,” Toni's shoulder opens the back door, kicking it close with her foot. The intoxicating scent of food being prepared registers in her system making her stomach growl. “Smells good.”

“Perfect timing,” Cheryl smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes. She’s just relieved Toni didn’t challenge her for any reason.

“It’s pissing rain out there,” Toni mumbles, tossing the car keys in their collective spot, walking into the kitchen.

“I got the butter you asked for,” she places it on the counter beside the cutting board, giving Cheryl a kiss on the cheek.

Cheryl’s smile glows, turns around giving Toni a brief kiss. “How was work, dear?”

Toni stares like a lovesick puppy, never hearing the question. She wants moments like these. The warm touches, heart-racing smiles, looks of adoration, but then there’s this. This. Her secret job as a spy. It’s the wedge between them. Only driving them further apart. But the cold atmosphere is back as Cheryl tenses and turns back to her cutting board. Toni sighs, moving around her.

“Ah,” Toni shrugs, running her fingers through her wet hair. She thinks about today was almost a disaster. “So-so.” Neither of them says anything till Toni starts fixing her evening drink.

“Oh, I got new curtains.”

“Did you?”

Cheryl walks around the corner, noticing Toni look up long enough to take a quick glance at the curtains and turn back to what she was doing.

“Well? What do you think?” Toni makes a non-committal noise and Cheryl’s expression narrows, “There was a struggle over the material. This tea sandwich of a man got his hands on them first, but I won.”

“Of course you did,” Toni grumbles.

“They're a bit green, which I'm not wild about, so we'll have to reupholster the sofas and get a new rug. Maybe a Persian.”

Toni stops in her tracks, “Yeah. Or, we can just keep the old ones. Then we don't have to change a thing.”

Cheryl gives her a pointed look, “We’ve talked about this, remember?”

“I remember,” Toni admits and takes a sip of her scotch. “I remember ‘cause we said we'd wait.”

Cheryl sighs, “If you don’t like them, we can take them back.”

“Okay,” Toni began, seeing this as a trap but not backing down. “I don’t like them.”

Cheryl throws her a look that would make anyone else quiver, “You’ll get used to them.” And with that, she’s back into the kitchen, preparing dinner.

Toni drowns the rest of her scotch, “Yeah.”

-

“So, part two. Here we are,” Dr. FP Jones announces, twirling his pen between his fingers. “Only this time, you came back alone. Why did you come back?”

Toni sighs, “I’m not sure really.” Her posture straights with the intake of air, her shoulders relaxing with the outtake. She knows why she’s here. She misses Cheryl. She misses the way the sun use to reflect in her eyes. The trailing smell of Colombian rain every time she walked by. But she doesn’t want to miss Cheryl. It’s driving her fucking nuts.

“Let me clarify,” She sighs and leans back in the chair. “I love my wife. I want her to be happy and I really do want good things for her, but there are times when I just…” she begins, her hands curling into fists. “When I just wanna…” she shakes her fists, imagining she’s knocking some sense into Cheryl.

“Hmmm…” FP trails off, scribbling notes down.

“There’s a huge space between us, Doc. And it keeps getting bigger and bigger until I can’t bear it anymore. It makes me feel so helpless.”

-

“So, Cheryl, why did you come back?”

"There's this huge space between us and it just keeps filling up with everything that we don't say to each other. What's that called?"

“Marriage.”

She throws FP an unimpressed glare.

“What don’t you said to each other?”

Cheryl sighs, “Uh.” Her thumb rotates the ring around her finger. “Hmm…”

-

“This looks nice. Did you try something new?”

“I added peas.”

“Peas,” Toni nods, “Yeah, it’s the green.” The silence that lingers is painful. Cheryl just wants to get this over with.

“Sweetheart, will you pass the salt?”

“It’s in the middle of the table.”

“Oh,” Toni blurted, her voice hoarse with a hint of innocence. “Is that the middle of the table?”

“Yea,” Her eyes start to blaze, “It’s between you and me.”

They both stare at each, silently daring the other to say something.

Toni clicks her tongue, “Okay.” She reaches for the salt, knocking over her red wine glass.

“Toni!”

Toni sighs, leaning back in her chair in frustration.

-

“How honest are you with her?”

“Pretty honest,” She states but her shoulders tense up. “I mean…” She twirls the wedding ring around her finger nervously. “...it’s not like I lie to her or anything. We just…have little secrets. Everyone has secrets.”

-

The loud voice of the commentator makes her lose interest as she looks, noticing Cheryl, across the hall into the study office. Cheryl’s moving her mouth but the door mutes every sound coming out.

She’s looking at her computer, smiling at whoever’s on the other line. Toni feels envy creep its way into her heart.

When’s the last time I’ve made her smile like that?

Cheryl laughs, typing out a message on her computer before shutting it down and wandering off into the bedroom. Toni doesn’t want to bother her after she slipped up earlier this week. That is until the urge to find her becomes too strong.

She’s in their room, fasting the belt to her long black overcoat and her red hair tied up. Toni shakes the bathroom drawer when she yanks it open, starling Cheryl.

“Jesus, Toni!” she laughs nervously as she jumps. “Honey, you scared me.”

“I’m sorry, baby. I was looking for the…” her hand scrambles about the drawer. She looks up at the mirror noticing Cheryl’s back is still turned to her. “You going out?”

“Yes,” she squeezes the perfume, the sweet smell of cherries filling the air. “Some moron crashed a server in a law firm downtown and ended the world as they know it, so yes.”

“Hmm,” Toni tries to detect any hint of a lie but she’s always been horrible at that. Ever seen she married Cheryl Blossom.

Cheryl Blossom. The key to breaking her heart. She lets Cheryl go despite the ache in her heart. You don’t go downtown late at night dressed like that. Besides, she has to have an alibi for herself to sneak out for her latest assignment from the organization. “We promised the Coopers.”

“I know. I’ll be there.”

-

Even though being a drunkard is her role, she’s going beyond it. Drowning her worries away as she steps out of the downtown cab where her target plays poker.

She wanders past the main room, walking through the employees only door until she reaches her destination. She pulls her flask out and drinks the last of it. “All or nothing.” she stumbles through the door, drunkenness clearly present in her system.

She identifies her targets quickly. There are three men gathered around the table playing poker. Anger takes place on their faces as they shout at her.

“What the hell?”

“What’s this shite?”

“Sorry,” she drags her hands around. “Where’s the can around here?” she closes the door slow and lazy, resting her back against it.

“Hey,” she slurs, “You guys playing poker?”

“Private game.”

“Piss off.”

“Could I sit in? You think I could sit…”

“What part of ‘piss off’ do you not understand?”

“Guys,” she starts, “Whoa. Whoa. Be a little friendly. I got the cash.” she reaches behind her back, pulling out a roll of cash as one of the men pull his coat aside revealing a gun in the holster on his hip.

Toni giggles. “That’s cool. You’re cool.” she pulls the wad of cash out and shows it off to the table. “You see what I’m saying but if you don’t, that’s fine,” a cheeky grin plastered on her face. She misses the pocket of her coat on purpose, dropping the money on the floor.

“Listen, I want—” she bends down to pick the money, purposefully crashing her forehead into the chair in front of her.

She shakes her head, acting dazed from the impact. “Oh, hey, those are some nice shoes man,” She grabs onto the chair, using it to steady herself into an upright position.

“Here’s an empty chair. I could sit right here.”

“That’s Chic’s chair.”

“Where’s Chic?” She does a full 360 of the room. “I don’t see Chic.”

“He’s not back yet.”

“Then I’ll sit here,” she smirks. “Unless I’m too hot for ya.”

-  
**Meanwhile...**

Cheryl hears the target gargling mouthwash in the bathroom. She knits her eyebrows, closing her eyes as she rolls her shoulders.

The man walks in from the room, only halfway through with wiping his mouth when he stops, taking a moment to undress her with his eyes. He smiles, nodding at her to lose the coat.

She loosens the belt and shrugs off the coat, letting it fall to her feet. His mouth hangs open, flabbergasted at what he sees.

Cheryl’s wearing a latex dress, it only stops at her mid-thigh meeting her stockings, leaving little to no imagination. Fishnet stockings dressing her arms as she pulls her fingers through the loops.

She reaches up behind her head and pulls a metal pin from the middle of her braid, letting the hair fall down in loose waves around her shoulders. Toni’s face flashes through her mind, guilt in the pit of her stomach but her confidence never flaunted.

-

“Solid Silver,” Toni announces, throwing her flask in the middle of the pot.

One of them picks it up, reading the words engraved on it.

“To dodging bullets. Love, Cheryl.”

“In the pot! Put it in the pot!”

“She’s got 14 different tells!”

“She’s bleeding William Tell!”

They mock her as she slides down in her chair in embarrassment. The upbeat tune of William Tell from The Lone Ranger coming from their mouths until a man bursts through the door, “What the hell is this?”

“Sorry, Chic.”

“Looks like you're done, Pal. Thanks for the memories.”

“Oh, are you Chic?” Toni looks over her shoulder at the man still standing in the doorway.

“Yeah.”

“No kidding.”

“What is it? You looking for a job or something?”

"You are the job," she fires twice, the sound of his body hitting the floor, traveling throughout the room. She quickly slides her chair back from the table, grabbing her other gun, aiming at her next victims, shooting the men next to her before taking out the man across from her.

Standing up from her seat she does a quick sweep of the room, making sure all four men are dead, twirling the guns back into their holsters. She grabs her flask before reaching across the table and checking the cards. “Pair of threes,” she grumbles, throwing it back down.

-

The man’s on his knees, hands cuffed behind his back, dragging the riding crop along his skin. “Have you been a bad boy?”

She brings the riding crop down hard on his back and he moans in pleasure.

“Yes.”

“You know what happens to bad boys?” she leans forward, hitting him again and he moans louder. “They get punished.”

“Ooh, yeah. Punish me,” his eyes closed, chin tilting upward and he shivers.

She kicks him forward, her hands sliding around his shoulder as she leans down to whisper in his ear, “Have you been selling big guns to the members of the cartel, Mr. St.Clair?”

He gasps, realization flashes in his eyes but it’s too late cause with a snap of his neck he’s gone. Seems like the men outside heard.

“Mr. St.Clair?” There’s a voice outside, knocking, panic in their voice.

“Mr. St.Clair? Are you okay?”

She slips her coat back on, tying the belt in place. Reaching into her pocket, she sends the calendar reminder that shows in her notification center. “Ugh, the Coopers.”

“He’s out!”

The aggression behind the door gets louder as she slips through the emergency exit, flying down the stairs.

-

“Welcome Neighbors!”

Toni makes talks to Jughead as he guides her to the bar where he had been chatting with some guys.

“How did you make out last quarter, Toni? Take a beating?”

“Actually, I've got all my dough buried under the tool shed.”

They all laugh as Toni sips on her drink, losing interest in the conversation. Her attention focused on Cheryl.

-

“So, he got the promotion.”

“Oh my god, that is so great!”

“We’re so excited. We can finally put the addition in the kitchen.”

“That's great and—Oh, shoot. Not again. Should have worn a raincoat.” One of the women pulls her daughter back from vomiting on her shoulder. She looks over at Cheryl.

“Would you mind? Could you hold her for a second?” She tries to pass her daughter to Cheryl but she immediately leans away.

“Oh? No.”

“Please? I just need to get some sanitizer. It'll only be a moment.” She passes her to Cheryl who holds her up in an awkward position. The baby quietly stares at her, smiling.

“Aw, she likes you.”

She looks up then and catches Toni’s eye, who was making her roundabouts. The pink haired girl smiles as she looks down at the baby, then back at Cheryl. Cheryl hasn't seen that smile in quite some time and it reminds her of Colombia but there’s something else she hasn’t seen. It’s longing in her eyes but she can’t put a finger on it.

-

They’re in their bathroom, taking care of their nightly routine. Toni looks up, watching Cheryl brush her teeth.

“I liked your dress tonight.”

Her voice. It’s sad and longing and Cheryl wish she could make it go away. They’re both tired of the arguing, of everything being so hard, on them and on their marriage. “It was nice.”

“Thank you,” Cheryl smiles but it’s gone as quick as it came. It's false hope that Cheryl hates. Hope that everything will be okay. Hope that her marriage can be saved. Hope...that she even has a marriage to hold onto.

 


End file.
